"those kind of kids"

So I am writing this post with the desperate hope that there is someone else out there who has had this happen to them as well.....

Before I had children, I would go into a store. Let's use a hypothetical name like Wal-Mart. Ineveitably I would spot a mother with children where the children were dirty, wearing stained clothes and had runny noses. I would think to myself, "My children will NEVER look like that." (Nose in the air, walking away)

Fast forward 6 years.....

Yesterday I had to run to Wal-Mart, again the hypothetical store, to get one lousy thing. Well I was in such a hurry that I neglected to even glance at my children before we left. In their defense, they had been playing outside all day, it was very warm. It's not their fault that their mother is totally spontaneous. Anyway, we get to the store, I get all of them into the store in one piece. As I lean down to pick up Emma to put her in the cart, I hear whispers. One woman says to the other, "Good grief, they must be poor." "She can't even afford to wash them??" I was sdesperately hoping that they were talking about someone else. That's when I finally looked at the girls. Molli had on ripped pants, a too small shirt and shoes that were two sizes too big. SHe must have been sweaty at one point because there were dirt streaks all across her face where she had swiped at it. Emma's hair was....oh my. She also had the tell tale dirt marks all over her face. She also had no shoes. Sydney must have found some Cheetos right befor we left because they were plastered to her face and outfit. At this point I burst into tears feeling like the most unfit mother ever. So right there and then I vowed to never leave the house again. Well, maybe but everyone must shower and change their clothes before we go anywhere.